>>
>> IN
>> IN FACT FIFTY FIVE YEARS AGO TODAY CROZ COMPLETED
CONSTRUCTION OF THE GATEWAY
ARCH.4@
WE'VE BEEN CELEBRATING ALL
MONTH LONG WITH A LOOK BACK AT
THE PLANNING AND BUILDING4@
OF OUR CITIES ICON TONIGHT'S
VINTAGE KAY STK DIGS DEEP INTO
OUR VIDEO ARCHIVES FOR THE
HIGHS AND LOWS OF WHAT WOULD4@
BECOME ONE OF OUR COUNTRY'S
MOST VISITED MONUMENTS FOR TWO
YEARS AND EIGHT MONTHS.4@
>> THE ARCH HAD PEOPLE LOOKING
UP IN THIS TOWN HIGH ABOVE THE
RIVERFRONT.
OUR CHANNEL FIVE REPORTER
CLIMBED NEW HEIGHTS AND
INTERVIEWED THE CONSTRUCT
WORKERS TO GET THE BIG STORY.
>> WE SORT OF EXPECTED A RATHER
HAZARDOUS OPERATION THIS
MORNING BUT IT WENT VERY4@
SMOOTHLY OR WAS AS YOU
EXPECTED.
EVERYTHING WENT VERY WELL.
MORNING FLEET PLAN.4@
>> BIG CROWDS CAME OUT ON THE
DAY THE LAST CHUNK OF THE ARCH
WAS DROPPED INTO PLACE.4@
BUT WHILE SO MUCH OF THE WORK
COULD BE SEEN FROM THE OUTSIDE,
THERE WERE EVEN 4@BIGGER PROBLES
TO SOLVE ON THE INSIDE.
LIKE HOW TO GET VISITORS TO THE
TOP AND IT WAS A REAL
ENGINEERING PROBLEM.4@4@
>> THEY CONTACTED BIG ELEVATOR
COMPANIES WHO CLAIM THEY DIDN'T
WANT TO HAVE ANY PART OF IT.
AND THEN THEY HAPPENED TO CALL
ONE ELEVATOR COMPANY WHERE
THERE WAS A GUY WHO WAS JUST4@
STOPPED 4@OFF TO SEE A FRIEND AD
HIS NAME WAS BOUSER.4@
>> BROWSER'S FATHER WORKED FOR4@
AN ELEVATOR COMPANY AND IN TWO
WEEKS ENDED UP LITERALLY4@
DESIGNING THE TRANS IN HIS
BASEMENT.
DARIA DOLAN CAPITAL THE FIRST
THING IN THE MORNING AND WOULD
YOU BE ABLE TO GIVE HIM A PASS
THING IN THE MORNING AND WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO GIVE HIM A PASS4@ TIME?4@
>> NO, IT'LL BE A WEEK BEFORE
WE CAN ACTUALLY TEST THEM OU4@T@
CAPSULES WEIGHING 1000 404@
POUNDS T4@HAT HANGS FROM A TRACK
AND ROTATE ALONG THE CURVE4@
INSIDE THE LEGS CARRYING PEOPLE
TO THE T4@OP.
>> ANOTHER FEAT OF ENGINEERING.
NOT WITHOUT HICCUPS.4@
>> THERE WAS A PROBLEM OR THE
NOT WITHOUT HICCUPS.4@ >> THERE WAS A PROBLEM OR THE4@ TRANSPORTER'S OR CAPSULE A
TRAIN.4@4@
WHERE WOULD 4@STOP ABOUT HALFWAY
UP.
>> NOW THAT'S BEEN CORRECTED.
YES.4@
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS OF COURSE
IN ANY NEW SYSTEM WORKING THE
BUGS ON WHILE HUGE CROWDS WOULD@
EVENTUALLY TURN OUT FOR A TRIP
TO THE TOP.
>> TICKET HOLDERS WOULDN'T GET4@
THAT RIDE UNTIL JULY 24TH,
1967.4@
ALMOST TWO YEARS AFTER THE ARCH
WAS COMPLETED.
>> HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN LINE
ABOUT THREE QUARTERS OF AN
HOUR.
>> IN FACT, THE ENTIRE FUTURE
OF THE ARCH IS AN 4@ATTRACTION
HAD BEEN IN QUESTION SINCE ITS
COMPLETION.4@
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE BI STATE
DEVELOPMENT AGENCY FLOATED A
THREE MILLION DOLLAR BAILOUT
THAT THE TRIPS TO THE TOP WOULD
GET GOING.
EVEN THE DEDICATION CEREMONY
WOULDN'T GO AS PLANNED.4@
HELD 10 MONTHS AFTER THE TRAM
RIDE STARTED, A HEAVY RAIN
FORCED THE CROWDS INTO THE
CONCOURSE UNDER THE ARCH4@
ON-HAND VICE PRESIDENT HUBERT
HUMPHREY AND DOZENS OF LOCAL4@
DIGNITARIES.
A PLAQUE WAS DEDICATED AND THE
PEOPLE HAVEN'T STOPPED COMING
EVER SINCE.
THE ART ITSELF IS JUST SO4@
TIMELESS APPEARANCE SO THE URGE@
JUST DOESN'T AGE IT DOESN'T
SAY.4@
>> THIS WAS DREAMED UP IN 1948
.
THIS WAS BUILT IN 1965.4@
IT JUST LOOKS LIKE SOMETHING
THAT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE OR
MAYBE SURPLUS HAD THE PARENTS.
IT'S JUST AN AMAZING STRUCTURE,
AN EVERLASTING TRIBUTE TO THE
MEN AND WOMEN WHO TOOK4@
AN ARCHITECT'S IDEA ON PAPER
AND BROUGHT IT TO LIFE ON THE4@
BANKS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER
.
>> I'VE BEEN ABLE TO INTERVIEW
A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO
ACTUALLY BUILT YOU KNOW,
THERE'S SO MANY STORIES THAT4@
THEY TELL AND IT'S JUST
AN AMAZING GROUP OF GUYS,4@
AMAZING GENERATION OF PEOPLE
WHO WERE ABLE TO GET UP 4@ON THT
STAGE.
>> THEY DID IT SWAYING IN WIND
AND SNOW, BITTER COLD AND ST.
LOUIS SUMMER HEAT HARSH
CONDITIONS THAT WOULDN'T STOP A@
DREAM SET IN MOTION IN 1947 AND
FINALLY COMPLETED ON4@4@
OCTOBER 28, 1965. 4@
>> ARCHITECT AEROSAT VERNON
DIDN'T LIVE TO SEE THE
COMPLETION OF HIS MASTERPIECE.
HE DIDN'T EVEN LIVE TO SEE
CONSTRUCTION BEGIN ON FEBRUARY4@
12, 1963.
SARANDON DIED ON SEPTEMBER 1ST,@
1962 WHILE4@ UNDERGOING
AN OPERATION FOR A BRAIN